Quiz: Howstuffworks

NHL Trivia Quiz

Kale Havervold

Image: IQRemix via WikiCommons

About This Quiz

The National Hockey League is the premier league for ice hockey on the planet and has been around for over 100 years. It features fast-paced action and is without a doubt one of the most exciting sports leagues on the planet. What was once a league with only four Canadian teams now features 31 teams across Canada and the USA. As you can imagine with a league that has been around since 1917, there's a lot of history.

There are historic NHL teams, historic moments and dozens of players who will never be forgotten for what they've done for the sport. While millions of people call themselves fans of the NHL and hockey in general, just how much do you know about the league? Do you know which player once scored 76 goals as a rookie? How about which team has the longest winning streak in league history?

This quiz will test your knowledge on a wide range of things such as players, stats, historical moments, teams and so much more. However, only knowing the present-day landscape of the NHL isn't going to cut it. We're also going to go back several decades to look at influential players, unforgettable moments and unbelievable stats.

Without any further ado, drop your gloves and get ready to duke it out with this challenging quiz on all things NHL.

Which team has lifted the Stanley Cup more than any other?

Boston Bruins

Edmonton Oilers

Toronto Maple Leafs

Montreal Canadiens

While many teams have won the Stanley Cup more than once, none have won it more than the Montreal Canadiens. Through their long history, they have won the Stanley Cup 24 times.

Of these teams, which was not a part of the Original Six in the NHL?

Montreal Canadiens

Chicago Blackhawks

Dallas Stars

Boston Bruins

The Original Six teams were the only teams in the league for 25 years until the league was expanded in 1967. Of the teams listed, the only team not in the Original Six is the Dallas Stars, who didn't come around until much later.

Which player will forever be known as "The Great One"?

Mario Lemieux

Wayne Gretzky

Jean Beliveau

Gordie Howe

Without a doubt, Wayne Gretzky is the most accomplished player in NHL history. He holds many records and has done just about all you can do in the sport. As a result, he's often called "The Great One."

What is the most points scored by a single player in an NHL game?

6

9

10

7

Getting a single point in a game is generally good for most players, but the record stands at ten times that. Darryl Sittler is so far the only player ever to score 10 points in a single game when he did it back in 1976.

The NHL season was canceled in 2004-05. What was the reason for this?

There was a lockout.

The Stanley Cup was lost.

There weren't enough fans.

Several areas were being remodeled.

The 2004-05 season was the only season in NHL history that was completely canceled. It was because of an inability to come up with a collective bargaining agreement that both players and owners alike were happy with.

As of the 2018-19 NHL season, which player has the highest yearly salary?

Connor McDavid

Sidney Crosby

Patrick Kane

John Tavares

While this may not last long as contracts are only going to continue to get bigger, the man with the largest salary for the 2018-19 season was Johnathan Tavares. His salary for this last season was $15.9 million.

Which team has the longest winning streak in NHL history?

Pittsburgh Penguins

Columbus Blue Jackets

Boston Bruins

Washington Capitals

Winning games in the NHL is not easy. That's what makes the Pittsburgh Penguins streak of 17 straight wins in 1993 one of the most impressive hockey feats ever. The Columbus Blue Jackets came only one win away from tying that record in the 2016-17 season.

What is former NHL player Marty McSorley best known for?

Being a great goal scorer

Being the heaviest player ever

For hitting Donald Brashear in the head with his stick

For his very unique hair

One of the ugliest on-ice moments in NHL history took place in 2000 and featured McSorley. With a few seconds left in a game, he swung his stick at the head of Donald Brashear and knocked him down, causing a concussion. McSorley was charged with assault, suspended for a year and would never play another game.

When did the wearing of a helmet become mandatory for all new NHL players?

1929

1979

1969

1989

Starting in 1979, it was made official that all new players entering the NHL would need to wear helmets. However, current players could continue playing without one. The last player to play without a helmet was Craig McTavish in 1997.

What does it mean when someone gets a "Gordie Howe hat trick"?

Gets three assists

Gets three goals in one period

Scores a goal, gets in a fight and gets an assist

Gets in three fights in a week

If you want to get a Gordie Howe hat trick in a game, there are a few different things you need to do. You need to score a goal, get an assist and also get into a fight, all in a single game of hockey.

Which player scored 76 goals as a rookie?

Wayne Gretzky

Alex Ovechkin

Elias Pettersson

Teemu Selanne

That's right, Teemu Selanne burst onto the scene during his first NHL season, scoring 76 goals. Very few players have ever scored more than this in a season, let alone their first.

Of the many awards given out at the end of an NHL season, which is given to most valuable player?

The Vezina

The Conn Smythe

The Lady Byng

The Hart Memorial

While each of these awards is real, the Hart Memorial Trophy is the one that is given to the player deemed most valuable to his team. The trophy is named in honor of Dr. David Hart who donated the original trophy to the league.

Who is the oldest player to score a hat trick in an NHL game?

Jaromir Jagr

Mike Bossy

Marcel Dionne

Sergei Federov

Jaromir Jagr has been one of the best scorers in the history of the NHL. A few years ago, he also became the oldest player to ever score a hat trick, when he did it at the age of 42 and 322 days.

What're the most points scored by a player in an entire NHL regular season?

215

199

177

169

The most points ever scored in a single NHL season is 215. As you might have expected, Wayne Gretzky is the owner of this record. He's also the only person ever to score more than 200 points, doing it four times.

Which fierce player has the most career penalty minutes in NHL history?

Dave Schultz

Dave "Tiger" Williams

Rob Ray

Tie Domi

As you might expect from his nickname, Dave Williams played with a lot of ferocity on the ice. He wasn't afraid of mixing it up with anyone. He would amass a total of nearly 4000 penalty minutes during his NHL career.

Who was the most recent goalie to win the Hart Memorial Trophy?

Jose Theodore

Pekka Rinne

Patrick Roy

Carey Price

Throughout the history of the Hart Memorial Trophy going out to the most valuable player in the NHL, only a handful of goalies have ever won it. The most recent was Carey Price when he won the award in the 2014-15 season.

Of all the players in NHL history, who has won the most Stanley Cups as a player?

Wayne Gretzky

Henri Richard

Mark Messier

Sidney Crosby

During his playing career, Henri Richard won a grand total of 11 Stanley Cups. No one has (or likely will) ever reach that number again as a player. While his brother might be a more well-known player, Henri will always have this record.

As of the 2018-19 NHL season, which team is the newest?

Carolina Hurricanes

Las Vegas Golden Knights

Arizona Coyotes

Winnipeg Jets

The Las Vegas Golden Knights became an official NHL team in 2017-18 and nearly went to the Stanley Cup final in their first season. A new team will be added to the NHL in the 2021-2022 season, but the name isn't known as of writing.

According to Forbes, which NHL team currently has the highest value?

Los Angeles Kings

Toronto Maple Leafs

Dallas Stars

New York Rangers

While it's close, the New York Rangers are just a little bit more valuable than the Maples Leafs, according to Forbes. The Rangers are currently valued at around $1.55 billion, compared to the $1.35 billion for the Maple Leafs.

Who was the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2018-19?

Justin Williams

Sebastian Aho

Dougie Hamilton

Jordan Staal

Justin Williams has been in the NHL for a long time and is the current captain of the Carolina Hurricanes. He has won three Stanley Cups and is known as "Mr. Game 7" for his clutch play in do-or-die situations.

Where did the Sedin twins play their entire NHL careers?

New York Islanders

Vancouver Canucks

Boston Bruins

Edmonton Oilers

The Sedin twins were brothers who played their entire 18 years with the Vancouver Canucks. They were beloved for their amazing play together and for being among the best players in franchise history.

Which of the sought-after NHL records does Wayne Gretzky not hold?

Highest goals per game

Most points scored in a single season

Most Hart Memorial Trophy wins

Youngest player to score 50 goals in a season

Wayne Gretzky is undoubtedly the best player in NHL history. He holds several amazing records, but one that he doesn't is the highest goals per game. Mike Bossy has him beat at .762.

What is the longest suspension for an on-ice incident?

A lifetime suspension

25 games

5 years

41 games

While there have been several large suspensions in the NHL, none were bigger than what Billy Coutu got in 1927. He was suspended for life after attacking a ref and starting a bench-brawl. His suspension was eventually reduced, but he never played another NHL game.

Which current NHL player is the tallest in league history?

Patrick Kane

John Scott

Zdeno Chara

Steve Staios

Since the moment he entered the NHL, Zdeno Chara has been the biggest player on the ice. He stands 6'9" and is incredibly imposing on the ice. In skates, however, he's got to be nearly seven feet tall.

At 26 seasons, who had the longest career in NHL history?

Jaromir Jagr

Gordie Howe

Chris Chelios

Ron Francis

Gordie Howe is a true legend in the NHL. Not only is he among the leading scorers of all time, but he also played in more games than anyone else. He played 26 different seasons, and his playing career spanned from 1946-1980.

NHL games normally last an hour of game time, but what was the longest NHL game in history?

176 minutes

503 minutes

95 minutes

201 minutes

The standard NHL game features three 20-minute periods. However, back in 1936, the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Maroons met in a game that took over 176 minutes to finish. The game finally ended in the sixth overtime period.

When did Jacques Plante become the first goalie to wear a mask full-time?

1959

1923

1917

1970

While some goalies had worn different types of masks from time to time, no goalie wore one full-time before Jacques Plante begun doing so way back in 1959. Of course, it soon caught on and everyone began wearing helmets and masks.

Which current NHL player do many people think will go down as the highest goal scorer in league history?

Sidney Crosby

Steven Stamkos

Jeff Skinner

Alex Ovechkin

While it is going to be a tall order for anyone to reach the 894 goals that Wayne Gretzky scored, many believe Alex Ovechkin can do it. He is currently at 658, shows no signs of slowing down and is only 33.

What city is home to the heralded Hockey Hall of Fame?

New York City

Toronto

Chicago

Montreal

Being the largest and most populous area in Canada, it makes sense that the Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto. In addition to being the home of the Stanley Cup, the Hall of Fame is full of other incredible memorabilia and other things to see.

Why was the Stanley Cup not awarded after the 1919 playoffs?

It was lost.

There was a lockout.

There was an influenza outbreak.

Teams didn't have enough players to play.

Before game six of the Stanley Cup Finals of 1919, many players and executives on both the Canadiens and Metropolitans became sick with the flu. The series was canceled and many were admitted to the hospital.

Who was the only player to be captain for two different teams and lead them both to Stanley Cups?

Jarome Iginla

Wayne Gretzky

Bobby Orr

Mark Messier

Mark Messier has the rare distinction of being the only person to captain two separate teams to Stanley Cup wins. He led both the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers to Stanley Cup victories as captain.

While the NHL is currently all-male (in terms of players), when did the first female play in an NHL game?

1992

1999

1975

1933

In the pre-season of the 1992-93 season, Manon Rheaume became the first women to ever play in an NHL game. This also made her the first woman to ever play in any of the North American major sports leagues.

Measuring in at 5'3", who was the shortest player in NHL history?

Tie Domi

Roy "Shrimp" Worters

Tyler Ennis

Sidney Crosby

While NHL players have come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, none have been shorter than the 5'3" Roy "Shrimp" Worters. Despite his size, he was a wonderful goalie, getting 66 shutouts throughout his career.

What year was fighting formally regulated in the NHL rules?

1922

1917

1976

1941

While fighting has been around and popular in hockey since its inception, it wasn't officially regulated until Rule 56 was introduced back in 1922. This was when it was officially made a five-minute penalty.

Which nation do most NHL players come from?

Sweden

USA

Canada

Finland

Despite the U.S. having over 300 million and Canada only having just over 30 million, more current (and former) NHL players come from Canada. In fact, nearly half of all active players come from Canada, well more than any other country.

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